aug 23, 1939 - Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

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On August 23rd, 1939, Hitler and Stalin publicly declared that they would never attack each other and signed the pact. This decision shocked the world, particularly Britain and France because they were expecting to see the Nazis and Soviets fighting each other and killing each other out. This pact broke the delicate peace maintained in Europe at that time, and Germany was able to do whatever it wanted without threats from Russia.
The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was important because it signified the start of a war. Before the pact, the Nazis and the Soviets hated each other, so the Nazis had to be more careful in Europe in case of aggression from the Soviets. The pact allowed the Germans to expand their power and start a war in Europe. Also, the pact showed other countries in Europe that they could not sit by and not do anything about the Nazis because the Soviets, whom they thought would attack and stop the Nazis, did not. By then, the Nazis had become so powerful from the lengthened peace gained from the Munich Conference that it was hard for the main countries, such as Britain and France, to stop the Nazis. The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact triggered the start of a long and hard war against Germany.

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